Hunt for Putin’s sick ‘Butchers of Bucha’ who beheaded & tortured 450 people in worst massacre of Ukraine war
VLADIMIR Putin’s sick soldiers known as the “Butchers of Bucha” who were behind the most horrific massacre of the Ukraine war remain at large
One year ago today, more than 450 bodies — including nine children and 73 civilians — were discovered across Bucha when Russian troops retreated, revealing evidence of their sickening war crimes.
Ukrainian police recovered nearly 40 bodies along one street alone.
Many of the victims’ bodies were found with their hands tied behind their backs and gunshot wounds to their heads.
Others were discovered dismembered, scalped, beheaded, or even having their eyes and tongue gouged out by the Russians.
Victims faced torture, sexual violence, and executions during almost one month of Russian occupation from March 4 to March 31.
And the UN said victims of sexual violence ranged in age from four to 82.
But despite the so-called “Butchers” being named and shamed last year – it is understood most of them remain both alive and free.
War crimes investigation project Russian Torturers has been tracking the sickos.
Russia is believed to have lost more than 170,000 men since the start of the war in Ukraine.
But while two of the butchers are believed to have fallen off the grid – either dead or missing – the rest remain at large.
Chief among them is Colonel Azatbek Omurbekov – commander of the 64th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade.
He is believed to have overseen the massacre – and yet last July, he was honoured by Putin and awarded the title of “Hero of the Russian Federation”.
The Russian Torturers project believes Omurbekov, 39, is based in Chebarkul, Russia.
And of the ten men identified as “the butchers” who were directly involved in rape, torture and murder, only Coporal Kashin Mikhail Alexeyevich and Knyazev Private Vasiliy Nikolayevich remain unknown.
Russian Torturers is continuing to appeal for anyone with information on the vile soldiers to come forward so they can be brought to justice.
Given safe passage by Putin’s lapdog Alexander Lukashenko, Russian forces stormed the northern city from Belarus in the early days of the Ukraine war.
Russia’s barbaric soldiers snatched Ukrainian civilians and took them to makeshift camps where they were executed by Putin’s soldiers.
Among the atrocities reportedly uncovered by Ukrainian forces were “torture chambers” set up in basements where the civilians were killed.
Soon after they occupied the city, Russian forces went door to door, searching residential buildings – claiming they were “hunting Nazis”.
Nine women and girls in Bucha became pregnant after being raped by Russian soldiers in the town.
International law firm Global Rights Compliance is supporting the ongoing investigation into Putin’s war crimes by Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General.
Marking one year since the brutality, Wayne Jordash KC, managing partner at the firm, told The Sun Online: “There can be no doubt that Russian forces were working to a plan.
“At the very least, Russia intended to destroy Ukraine as a nation through a concerted campaign of international crimes.
“Over 450 civilians met their untimely deaths and hundreds more were disappeared, tortured, sexually violated or injured during the almost one month of occupation at the hands of this brutal force.
“The Russian plan for Bucha is now as clear as day: they wanted to eliminate any semblance of Ukrainian resistance and identity in the town.
“They were willing to stop at nothing – terrorism, torture and indiscriminate murder of civilians included – to achieve this goal.
“One year has passed since the startling footage from liberated Bucha plunged the civilised world into shock.
“Bucha is now free and able to look back at those dark days.
“Every day we know more and every day we move closer to justice for victims and their families.”
A report by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe — which counts Russia as a member — said there were “clear patterns” of Russian war crimes in Bucha including torture, rape and murder.
After Russian forces retreated, harrowing images showed a number of bodies in civilian clothing lying in the streets.
One video showed patrol cars zig-zagging through the corpses, desperately checking for life.
Journalists on the ground reported at least 20 bodies, all in civilian clothing, strewn across a single street.
Three of the innocent victims were tangled in bicycles after taking their final ride, while others had fallen next to bullet-ridden, shelled-out cars.
AFP journalists reported two of the bodies had their hands tied behind their backs while man had his Ukrainian passport left open beside him.
They were all in civilian clothes and at least three were naked from the waist up.
One appeared to have been shot in the chest from close range.
Images showed corpses being buried in a mass grave as distraught family members said goodbye to their murdered loved ones.
Richard Weir, crisis and conflict researcher at Human Rights Watch, said Russian forces “showed contempt and disregard for civilian life and the most fundamental principles of the laws of war”.
At the time, President Volodymyr Zelensky fought back tears as he vowed to ensure the “war crimes” committed by Russian soldiers on his country’s soil were “the last such evil on Earth”.
The barbaric troops allegedly responsible for the atrocities were identified by Ukraine intelligence as the 64th Motor Rifle Brigade.
And they were scandalously honoured by Putin and granted the title as Guards as they were praised for “mass heroism and valour, tenacity and courage.”
The thugs – headed by the “Butcher of Bucha” – are said to have carried out the massacre as they scarpered from Kyiv after their botched attempt to take the Ukrainian capital.
Global Rights Compliance said investigators for the Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General, supported by Mr Jordash and his team, are “closing in on perpetrators of these crimes”.
Russia continues to deny that any massacre took place in Bucha – and claims the images of mass graves and dead bodies were all faked.
THE BUTCHERS OF BUCHA
Colonel Omurbekov Azatbek Asanbekovich, 39, from Chebarkul, Russia – ALIVE
Senior Sergeant Bizyaev Andrey Sergeyevich, 24, from Khabarovsk, Russia – ALIVE
Sergeant Lavrentyev Vyacheslav Anatolyevich, 30, from Zabaykalsky Krai, Russia – ALIVE
Sergeant Naryshkin Grigoriy Viktorovich, 31, from Bomnak, Russia – ALIVE
Sergeant Akimov Nikita Alekseyevich, 26, from Khabarovsk, Russia – ALIVE
Corporal Sergiyenko Dmitriy Sergienko, 28, from Voronezh, Russia – ALIVE
Corporal Kashin Mikhail Alexeyevich, 25, from Votkinsk, Russia – UNKNOWN
Corporal Maltsev Semyon Konstantinovich, 27, from Khabarovsk, Russia – ALIVE
Private Radnayev Albert Bairovich, 25, from Ulan-Ude, Russia – ALIVE
Private Peskaryov Sergey Olegovich, 25, from Leninskoe, Russia – ALIVE
Private Knyazev Vasiliy Nikolayevich, 25, from Dubniki, Russia – UNKNOWN